Today didn't really pan out as expected: the clear, calm dawn sky was full of Redpolls as it should have been but their anticipated companions didn't materialise in any great quantity and the day quickly fizzled out quite underwhelmingly. The final tally of 75 Redpolls was certainly a good one, with 100 Siskins also a respectable total, but precious little else overhead featured in anything more than a few dozens. It was a tad busier on the ground than it has been the case just lately, but much that might be expected in quantity - notably thrushes and 'crests - remained in short supply, with singles of Merlin, Water Rail, Short-eared Owl and Ring Ouzel, together with the long-staying Lesser Whitethroat, the best on offer at the Bill. Not much was expected from the sea and 3 Balearic Shearwaters and a Red-throated Diver were all that could be mustered from the Bill.
Although we hear that the dawn sky along the mainland coast was filled with passing migrants that was not the case at the Bill where only Redpolls featured in decent numbers...
...and this was not a particularly representative individual since it was one of the very few that was actually seen settled this morning © Martin Cade:
